The invention relates to a slide articulation bearing, in particular for tiltable converters, having slide elements inserted between the inner and outer races of the slide articulation bearing.
Recently, weight changes of the materials charged have been used for controlling the production procedure in metal production processes, in particular in steel production processes. Thus precise determinations of the weight changes during the operation are of great importance.
It is known to supply converters with load cells for this purpose. Thus, e.g., load cells have been arranged below the pedestal construction of the bearing housings of the carrying trunnions, or the bearing housings of the carrying trunnions have been guided in the vertical direction by means of rollers in a load-cell-containing recess of the pedestal (British Pat. No. 1,373,652). In another apparatus the load cells have been arranged between the bearing housings and the supporting construction, the bearing housings being supported by means of plates or guide rods on the supporting construction which surround the housing thereby accommodating the horizontal forces.
The known apparatusses have, however, a number of disadvantages. Thus, on the one hand, the accommodation of the load cells as well as the guiding of the bearing housings in the vertical direction requires rather complicated mechanical structures which cannot always endure the rough conditions present in a steel plant; on the other hand, the known method of guiding the bearing housings do not guarantee that merely vertical forces act on the load cells and no transversal forces. Transversal forces falsify the measuring results and in extreme cases can lead to the destruction of the load cells. A further important disadvantage of known constructions consists in that a subsequent installation of load cells in already existent plants is difficult and expensive, since the bearing housings as well as the supporting construction have to be adapted to the requirements of the load cells.